The Murder of a Prince
by AnnaBolinaRegina
Summary: What if it was discovered that Anne's last miscarriage was caused by herbs slipped into her drink? Would it mean another chance for her? And would the fact it was done in Mary's name lead Mary to take the Oath to prevent another such deed? AU
1. Prologue: The Queen was Poisoned!

_**Author's Note: Hi, I'm new to writing fanfiction. This is my first story, so please review and let me know what you think. Constructive criticism only please! This idea came to me one day, and so this story was born. Thanks to ReganX, who's a great help, and the best fanfic writer I've ever seen! And now, I'll stop babbling!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**_

"No, no, my boy!"

The Queen's screams rent the air. Her ladies-in-waiting rushed into her bedchambers to see her clutching the bottom of her gown, which was stained crimson. Her ladies rushed into action, running for the midwife and Dr. Linacre. The doctor rushed in, followed by the midwives, and set about keeping the Prince inside the Queen's womb.

All their work was in vain. Not a half hour later, a perfectly formed child was ejected into the world, dead. A boy. The Queen cried in anguish as they carried the fragile, bloodstained body wrapped in a sheet, away from her, to be buried, though as the baby never drew a breath, let alone been christened, it couldn't be buried in sanctified ground. Anne's personal anguish mingled with fear, as she knew Henry would hear soon. She clutched at her pillows, her hands, the beautiful, long hands so praised by many white, clawlike as she cried in torment from her own personal hell. Faintly she heard her cousin, Lady Madge Sheldon, ask the doctor warily, "Dr. Linacre, did you prescribe the Queen herbs to be put in her wine?"

The doctor shook his head, a frown creasing his brow as he crossed the room in three strides, taking the goblet from Madge. He swilled the dregs of wine and herbs left in the bottom around, examining it. Everyone was so busy, some watching the doctor, others trying to quiet the shrieking Queen, no one noticed the King enter the room, a thunderous look on his face, as though prepared to shout. The doctor looked up, a grim look on his face, his words causing everyone's jaws to drop, and rendering the King speechless.

"It's pennyroyal. Someone put pennyroyal in Her Majesty's wine, with the intent of causing her to miscarry. Someone has murdered the Prince."

TBC

_**A/N: I know it was short, but it was just a prologue. Please read and review!**_


	2. Chapter 1: High Treason

_**Author's Note: Okay, so this is more of a shorter chapter too. I'm not gonna babble on to all who reviewed the first chapter! I'm glad you like it! Read and Review!**_

The room fell silent, even the bustle of ladies and servants ceasing as they heard the doctors pronouncement. Anne's gut-wrenching sobs fell quiet as she stared in disbelief. Even Henry was stunned.

The doctor was the first to recover, sending orders for servants to fetch Anne's goblet from the day before from the kitchen. The bustle resumed as they hurried to obey. King Henry gaped at Anne, whose face was tear streaked, before open and closing his mouth a few times, as if about to speak. Just as abruptly, he turned and left, needing time to absorb the shock. Anne's keening started again as what the doctor had said finally sunk in, crying for her murdered prince. No one paid her any attention now, lost in their own shock. She lay in her grand state bed, the sheets still bloody, blood seeping out of her, holding a pillow to her chest, her nails clawing at her chest and stomach in pain, as the bustle around her continued, oblivious to her grief.

Henry stormed into his privy chamber, Cromwell looking up, noting with glee the murderous look on his sovereign's face, thinking it was directed at Anne. He bowed to the King, who bellowed, "Somebody has put pennyroyal in the Queen's wine to kill our child! I want the person responsible found and thrown in the dankest, smallest dungeon cell in the Tower, and racked half to death, then I want him executed as a traitor!". These words caused the smile on Cromwell's face to drop, and he just stared, causing Henry to proceed to grab the nearest object, a glass vase, and throw it at the wall, inches from Cromwell's head.

"NOW!" he yelled at his terrified counselor, who scurried as quickly as his great bulk would allow from the room. Henry gave a roar, chucking another goblet at the wall before promptly falling into a chair and giving way to tears of anger and grief.

The goblet was brought down from the kitchen. The doctor examined it thoroughly. He then looked at the midwives.

"Somebody has been dosing the Queen for awhile. This was a well-thought out plot. We must tell the King." He told them.

They nodded, and a messenger was dispatched. He then concocted a sleeping draught for the Queen. She needed rest, and it was likely she wouldn't fall asleep on her own.

Cromwell paced his chambers, trying to plan his next move. He had already written out a list of possible suspects, and set his spies on them. He just needed evidence. But he knew this latest incident was going to destroy his plans. The King would be too full of anger to even consider putting his wife aside. He may have fallen out of love with her, but someone trying to harm her, his wife, Queen, then pregnant with his son, would turn his anger from the Queen to anyone else. He would never put her aside know, and to even suggest it would draw suspicion on his own head. No, this ill-timed plot was the ruin of his plans. It was now obvious that the Queen would stay.

He looked up as he heard a knock at his door. He nodded to a servant to open it, revealing one of his spies. The man entered, bowing.

"What is it? Have you found something?" Cromwell demanded.

"Yes, Master Secretary. I was tailing William Brereton, as you know. He went to the Seymour's chambers. I overheard him talking to Sir Edward and Lady Jane.. He mentioned that his plan was successful. He didn't refer to the Queen's miscarriage, but it seems likely that was the plot he referred to. Both Seymours seemed overjoyed. While he was busy there, I went to his chambers. I found this in his desk." The servant reached into his pocket, pulling out a small bag. He handed it to Cromwell, who opened it, peering inside. A grin stretched across his face.

"Pennyroyal… Good work…" He nodded, passing a bag of coins to the man, before turning to a servant. "Send word to the King." He then turned to a man-at-arms. "Arrest Sir William Brereton, Sir Edward Seymour, and Lady Jane Seymour, and have them conducted to the Tower on charges of High Treason."

TBC

_**A/N: I know it's short. What do you think about the plot so far? Is it believable? Read and review, please! Next update soon!**_


	3. Chapter 2: Tantrums and Reunions

**AN: Hey all, this is the next chapter in The Murder of A Prince. Let me know what you think!**

Henry still had his face buried in his hands when the knock on the door came. A groom stuck his head around the door.

"Your Majesty, Master Cromwell is here to see you."

Henry nodded and signaled to the groom to allow Cromwell into his chambers. He sat back as Cromwell bowed, a sheaf of papers in his hands, then, folding his hands in his lap, he looked at Cromwell expectantly.

"Well, Master Cromwell? Have you found anything?"

Cromwell nodded, an eager gleam in his eyes.

"I had my servants watching for any suspicious behaviour. One of them has just returned to me. It seems he was following Sir William Brereton, one of Your Majesty's grooms. He went to the chambers of Sir Edward and Lady Jane Seymour. He was quite happy, informing the two of them that the plan was a success. They were apparently overjoyed. He did not specifically refer to the Queen, but while Sir William was with the Seymours, my groom then slipped into is chambers and found this."

He passed the bag containing the pennyroyal found in Brereton's chambers to Henry, who opened it peered inside, then looked back at Cromwell with anger.

"It's pennyroyal! How could they!"

"I have already sent guards to take them to the Tower, and I have the official warrants here for you to sign, Your Majesty." Cromwell passed the sheets of parchment to the King, who took them, and dipping his quill in the ink well furiously, signed all three without hesitance, pressing so hard in his anger the he poked a hole in the "J" in Jane. Cromwell took the papers and hurried out with a quick bow, leaving Henry to brood. The moment the door closed, Henry stood, rage reddening his face. He started picking things up and chucking them around the room, yelling, "I trusted her! I loved her! How could she betray me like this!"

In another part of the castle, a woman was arriving, a baby on her hip. She had been banished from court not long ago. Mary Stafford, formerly Boleyn, had been called back by her father to tend to Anne. Anne didn't know yet, but she would soon.

Mary stood outside the Queen's chambers to be announced. The doors opened.

"The Lady Mary Stafford"

Mary ignored all the stares and wide eyes, pushing past the empty headed ninnies to get to her sister, throwing open the privy chamber door. Anne was laying in bed, sobbing, her hair a mess, her face white a ravaged by tears. She looked up with grief stricken eyes, screaming, "I thought I told you all to leave me—." Her sentence dropped off when she saw who stood in the door.

"Mary? What are you doing here? I thought you were banished!" Her tone was not mean, in fact, it was surprised but happy.

"Father sent for me. He said you were a wreck, and I can see that he's right…"

Anne nodded. "It's not my fault, Mary… I have lost my son…"

Mary sighed and went to the bed, placing her daughter on it beside her aunt. The baby gurgled as Mary went over to the vanity, taking Anne's silver backed brush from it. She went over and at beside her sister and daughter, beginning to brush Anne's tangled locks with gentle strokes, attempting to calm her the way she had done since they had been children. Anne was always soothed by having her hair brushed.

"I know, Annamaria, I know… Everything is going to be okay… I am here now, I will take care of you, dearest sister." Mary soothed in a soft voice, calling Anne by her childhood pet name.

Anne tilted her head back, allowing Mary to brush her locks. A calm expression came over her face, and she turned and wrapped Mary in a hug.

"Oh, Marianne, I have missed you… I am so sorry for banishing you… Please forgive me…"

Mary smiled at her sister. "I forgive you, Anne. It is all in the past. I know you wouldn't have done it if Father hadn't insisted on it. Besides, it wasn't so bad… I enjoyed being with William on the farm."

Anne smiled, a small smile, but progress nonetheless.

"I'm glad, Marianne… Now who is this beautiful little girl?" She gestured towards her niece, who had crawled into Mary's lap.

Pride and joy filled Mary's eyes as she looked down at the infant in her lap.

"This is my daughter, Anne Stafford. We call her Annie"

Tears sprang to Anne's eyes when she heard the little girl's name, delighted that after all she had done to Mary, Mary still sought to honour her.

"She is a beautiful girl. When she is old enough, she will be a companion to Elizabeth. Speaking of which, Elizabeth should be arriving any minute! They bring her every day after her nap." Anne's eyes shone, the thought of her daughter filling her with happiness. The only thing that could pull Anne out of her melancholy, even briefly, was her daughter, the fair haired toddler princess, the only child and heir of Anne and Henry, so far. She was a bright child, precocious beyond her short years, and the pride and joy of her mother, the light of her dark, lonely life. Anne wouldn't allow Elizabeth to see her mother in such a state, and always made an effort to pretend nothing was wrong.

Sure enough, not a few minutes later, a cry was heard.

"Make way for The Princess Elizabeth! Make way!"

The door opened to reveal the toddler, flanked by her governess, Lady Bryan. Lady Bryan bowed to the Queen, trying to remind Elizabeth to do so, but the little girl was too happy to see her mother, and abandoning proper etiquette, ran to the bed, jumping at her mother, who enclosed her daughter in her arms, pressing her face into the blonde curls, which smelled like soap and rosewater. She kissed her daughter's cheeks, smiling.

"Oh, my darling Elizabeth! My darling baby… I'm so glad you've come to see me… May I introduce to you my sister, your aunt, Mary, and her daughter, your cousin, Annie Stafford."

Elizabeth extended her hand for Mary to kiss imperiously, nothing of the toddler in her behavior, imitating her mother to perfection. Mary kissed the chubby hand, smiling.

"It is an honour to meet you, Your Highness."

Satisfied that all proper procedure had been observed, Elizabeth smiled and started babbling away. The afternoon was spent in such a way, the two sisters and their daughters reunited, soon joined by Anne and Mary's brother George, and Anne was surrounded by her loving family, able to temporarily forget her woes, the anger and distress outside her chambers seeming like a distant land.

Not too far from this happy family, a completely different scene was happening. The Tower was the worst place for a prisoner to be brought. Most who went in never left. As Jane sat in a chair in front of Master Cromwell in the interrogation room, she was shaking in her shoes, nervous, scared out of her wits. She had heard all the horror stories about the instruments of torture. Just the thought had her ready to say anything.

Master Cromwell glared down at her, disgusted by the sniveling girl who used to be his greatest hope for destroying Anne, and who had instead bolstered her position.

"Why did you plan to poison the Queen? Did you hope to take her place? Did you want to be Queen that badly that you would murder Their Majesties unborn child?"

His yelling frightened Jane even more, and in tears she cried out, "No! We did it for Princess Mary! So she could be Queen!"

Cromwell smiled, rubbing his hands together. She ordered the guard to put Jane back in her cell. He had what he needed from her to get William Brereton to divulge the details of this plot.

TBC

**A/N: So, a royal temper tantrum, a family reunion to help Anne heal, and a weak Jane. Anne is my favorite wife, and I absolutely despise Jane for allowing Henry to kill his wife, then marrying him! And getting engaged to him the day of her execution! So I was glad to give Henry and Jane a little payback, and allow Anne some happiness. But things will get difficult. Stay tuned! R&R!**


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